After so many recipe posts today we will pause and talk a little about the term vegetarian and vegan, let’s know the difference of each one, which is healthier, their meals and the lifestyle of a vegan and lifestyle of a vegetarian.
Vegans and vegetarians they choose not to eat meat but nevertheless, the strictest is veganism since it also prohibits dairy products, eggs, honey and other items that derive from animal origin, such as leather and silk.
However, although vegans do not eat meat from any animal, not even fish, so they have some similarities. In addition, the differences between the two are many and very clear, both in terms of food and lifestyle.
¿What is being a vegetarian?
Vegetarianism according to the Vegetarian Society, are people who do not eat products or derivatives related to the killing of animals, what does this mean? that vegetarians do not consume the following:
- Meat, such as beef, pork and that which is the product of hunting.
- Poultry, such as chicken, turkey and duck.
- Fish and seafood.
- Insects.
- Curdled cheese or milk, gelatin and other types of animal proteins.
- Broth or fats derived from the killing of animals.
However, many vegetarians consume by-products that do not involve the slaughter of animals, these include the following:
- Eggs
- Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.
- Honey.
What does a vegetarian consume?
Vegetarians typically consume a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes., as well as meat substitutes that are derived from these types of foods.
Now, we prepare a list so you can get a clearer idea about the foods and products that a vegetarian person can consume.
- Cereals: It is essential that you eat carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, oats, corn, corn flakes, among others, since they can provide energy for the whole day of the day.
- Fruits: What to say, the snack is a key piece, the vegetarian person eats many fruits throughout the day, is consumed as a dessert and even incorporated as an ingredient in a salad.
- Vegetables: For a vegetarian it is advisable to consume vegetables at all meals, in salad, as a garnish or first course.
- Legumbres: Fundamental in any diet, but in the case of the vegetarian menu with more reason, because they are the foods that provide us with more macronutrients.
- Nuts: This type of product is also a fundamental pillar in the vegetarian menu due to its energy value. It contains protein, fat, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium and vitamin E.
¿What is being vegan?
Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism. Vegans avoid consuming or using any animal products or by-products. Como mencionamos la Sociedad Vegana define el veganismo de la siguiente manera.
A way of life, which seeks to include, as far as possible and viable, all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals to obtain food, clothing or any other purpose.
Veganism
The vegans strictly avoid consuming any food or drink that contains the following:
- Meat.
- Poultry.
- Fish and seafood.
- Eggs
- Dairy products.
- Honey.
- Insects.
- Curdled milk or cheese, gelatin and other types of animal proteins.
- Broth or fats derived from animals.
The strictest also extend these principles beyond their diet and will try, where possible, to avoid any product that directly or indirectly involves the human use of animals, these products may include:
- Leather goods.
- Wool.
- Seda.
- Beeswax.
- Soaps, candles and other products that contain animal fats, such as sebum.
- Latex products containing casein, which comes from milk proteins.
- Cosmetics or other products that manufacturers test on animals.
¿What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan?
After knowing the definitions it is very easy to identify the main differences between a vegan and a vegetarian, a vegan person feeds on products of 100% vegetable origin, that is, without any food of animal origin, meanwhile a vegetarian can incorporate eggs, milk, cheese, honey and other animal products into his diet.
The vegetarian also does not eat fish or any type of meat such as chicken, pork, beef, other birds, etc.
Similarly, there are other differences between vegetarian and vegan that go beyond diet. The vegetarian person may have changed their diet for reasons such as intolerance, to lose weight, for the environment, among others.
However, a vegan person usually has as his main motivation for changes in his diet and lifestyle, animal welfare. What does this mean? means that vegans do not wear, for example, leather footwear, clothing made of wool, fur or other materials that may have caused the suffering or death of an animal, seek to take care of the environment in all their daily acts, also use cosmetics and hygiene products that have not been tested on animals, nor carry ingredients of animal origin, etc.
So, we can summarize the following, vegetarian is generally limited to diet while veganism is a lifestyle that goes beyond food.
¿Which is healthier among vegans and vegetarians?
No doubt both diets offer similar health benefits and generally feed people to eat whole foods richer in antioxidants and nutrients.
It’s hard to say which diet is healthier between vegan and vegetarian because both have advantages and disadvantages.
For example, unlike vegans, lacto-vegetarians get calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D from dairy products, however avoiding Dairy and Eggs Can Help Vegans Keep Their Cholesterol Levels Low.
Instead, vegans are also at risk of suffering from an essential deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically in EPA and DHA, even if they consume plant sources of these nutrients.
DHA is necessary for brain function and cognition, and to prevent brain fog, memory difficulty, and more. Vegetarians and pescetarianos they can get EPA and DHA more easily from eggs and shellfish.
The authors defined a healthy vegan lifestyle as:
- Eat a whole-food, plant-based diet.
- Exercise daily.
- Drink more than eight glasses of water a day.
- Regular exposure to sunlight.
However, following a plant-based diet does not guarantee good health. It is still possible for vegetarians and vegans to lead unhealthy lifestyles or consume a processed “junk” food diet.
And you can tell us how you thought of this post? Are you looking for which one to lean? let us know in the comments.
